W1AW/1 Massachusetts Volunteers On The Air a Great Success!

VOTA logoLarry Krainson, W1AST, writes:

The Massachusetts W1AW/1 Volunteers On The Air event was held from April 12th through April 18th. Team VOTA MA consisted of 15 hams contributing to a total of 9449 QSOs. It was a team effort and everyone contributed!

I would like to thank the following hams for their part in the MA Spring VOTA effort. They made it a success:

    • AB1UT
    • AF1R
    • AG1C
    • K1NZ
    • K1UR
    • KJØD (operating remotely thru K1TTT)
    • KX1X
    • N1FTP
    • N1MGO
    • N1SOH
    • W1AST
    • W1FJ
    • W1FM
    • WA1OEZ
    • WA3SWJ

There were plenty of pileups in all the modes including FTx, CW and SSB right up to the last minute of operation.

W1AW/1 Massachusetts VOTA will activate again the first week of November. If your transmitter is in MA and you would like to join the team, contact Larry, W1AST at W1AST@arrl.net.

Nashua ARC Ham Bootcamp Online, May 13, 2023

NARS Ham BootcampFrom the ARRL Letter, April 20, 2023:

The Nashua Area Radio Society’s spring 2023 online Ham Bootcamp will be held on Saturday, May 13, from 10 AM to 6 PM Eastern Time. Access to the session will be provided via Zoom.

Ham Bootcamp includes a series of demonstrations and tutorials designed to help newly licensed Technician-, General-, and Extra-class license holders get on the air. Ham Bootcamp is also a great opportunity for hams who are interested in seeing what the hobby has to offer.

The online Ham Bootcamp program is available to all licensed and prospective amateur radio operators. You can register for the next Ham Bootcamp session here. For additional information, contact Anita Kemmerer, AB1QB, of the Nashua Area Radio Society at ab1qb@arrl.net.

The Nashua Area Radio Society is an ARRL Affiliated Club.

Hidden Fox, Enfield CT Vicinity, April 20, 2023

Rod Bungard, N1RUU, writes on the ctfoxhunter list on April 20, 2023 at 4:28 PM:

After a long winter break, Fox #5 PL 123.0 is out in the wild. The fox is running 1.5 watts into a 18-inch antenna and is on 146.550 MHz (PL 123.0).

To activate, key your transmitter, ID and then send a DTMF “1.” If the FoxBox can hear you and you can hear it, you will hear its very distinctive sound. It will transmit for 30 seconds, ID and then go back to sleep. You can make it transmit as often as necessary to find it.

Once someone has been able to bring it up and hear it, please report that information to the other fox hunters. Feel free to reply to the group. Do not reveal its location, just a location (and direction if possible) from which you are able to hear it. This then becomes a starting point for the other fox hunters to use.

You do not actually have to touch the box to claim finding it. If you hunt the Fox please log to this group even if you don’t find it.

Located in the Enfield area.

“Westfield ham radio operator logs contacts from across country at scenic river”

POTA activation, "MassLive.com"From MassLive.com:

HUNTINGTON — Ham radio enthusiasts Roy Thompson (call sign KD1RT) of Westfield and Tom Barker (WA1HRH) of New Hampshire were at a pulloff by the Westfield River in Huntington this week, activating a portable site in the back of their car for Parks on the Air, a nonprofit that promotes the use of amateur radio in state and national parks. [Full story]

New England QSO Party, May 6-7, 2023

New England state mapMark your calendars for the New England QSO Party on May 6-7, 2023. The object is to contact as many New England stations (Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont) in as many New England counties as possible on 80-40-20-15-10m. (New England stations work anyone.)

Station categories include single-operator high power; low power (150w or less); and QRP (5w or less), plus multi-operator, single transmitter. Same four categories for mobiles in New England. Use of spotting assistance is permitted in all categories. But self-spotting is not permitted.

For more information, visit <https://neqp.org>.

Revised NH ARRL Website Needs Your Pictures

One of the goals of the New Hampshire ARRL field organization is to promote Amateur Radio. This includes sharing the accomplishments, capabilities and interests of both New Hampshire individuals and clubs to those outside of Amateur Radio.

We are in the process of revising the New Hampshire Section website (www.NHRADIO.org) and we need your help.

There is nothing better to spark interest in our hobby than through photos of hams in action. With this goal in mind, I am calling on individuals and clubs to submit digital photos for possible use as page backgrounds or to be highlighted in our photo gallery. We have created a way to easily upload your photos. Go to this link…

https://www.nhradio.org/nhimages/

The photos must be appropriate for publication and should “tell a story at first glance.” We are especially interested in action photos, but all pictures of Ham Radio activities are welcome for consideration. We will give credit to the photographer or the person/club who submitted the picture. Please only submit pictures that you took, or that you have permission from the photographer to submit.

Have an original story to tell along with your photo? You should direct it to Al Shuman at akshuman@comcast.net.

——————————————————————–
ARRL New Hampshire Section
Section Manager: Peter J Stohrer, W1FEA
w1fea@arrl.org
——————————————————————–

Port City ARC Fox Hunt, Portsmouth NH Vicinity, April 15, 2023

Port City ARC logoNeil Collesidis, AA1SB, writes on the Port City ARC (NH) mailing list:

Hear Ye, Hear Ye!

Fox Hunt this Saturday, April 15, 2023 10am local.

I figure I’ll go somewhere within a certain radius—say, 7 miles?—from the W1WQM clubhouse and turn on the fox beacon at 10 AM.

I’ll use the simplex frequency of 146.445. (Unless someone says “NO! You shouldn’t use that! Use xxx.xxx!”)

Sound reasonable? I’ll also monitor the club repeater to see who is participating and who is left looking for me. 

If it ends up being quick, we can do a second round. 

72,

Neil AA1SB/fox

Massachusetts VOTA Week, April 12-19, 2023

Volunteer On The Air logoFrom ema.arrl.org:

Larry Krainson, W1AST, writes:

Massachusetts is ready and anxious to work everyone during its spring VOTA (Volunteers On The Air) week starting Wednesday, April 12th and going through Tuesday, April 19th.

We have a team of 17 amateurs that will be operating on all bands on multiple modes. We even have hams located in “other” states remoting through transmitters located in Massachusetts through K1TTT and some other stations.

We will be operating as W1AW/1 and per VOTA rules, each contact will be worth 5 points. Those of the team ops that have field or other positions may also be running their own call alongside the W1AW/1 to give you additional points as well. For example, if I am operating I can also run as my own call W1AST and not only give you the state W1AW/1 for 5 points contact but a 30-point contact as well. This is up to each VOTA MA op if they decide to do so.

All the points are calculated via LOTW submissions. There are no paper logs and no physical QSL cards; it’s all done via LOTW.

Watch for the spots being posted and find W1AW/1 and work us. I hope to hear you on the air!

73,

Larry, W1AST
VOTA MA Manager

Fox Hunt, Colchester CT, April 8, 2023

Mark Noe, KE1IU, writes on the ctfoxhunter list:

A foxhunt is a high-tech game of hide and seek where you use direction finding equipment to locate hidden transmitters. SECARS will be hosting a foxhunt on Saturday, April 8 at noon – at Zagray Farm – 544 Amston Rd., Colchester, CT. This foxhunt will have several transmitters hidden around the field at varying levels of difficulty to enable beginners and challenge experienced foxhunters. This will be an on-foot foxhunt. For those who have never tried foxhunting before, there will be experienced hunters to help you. You do not need to bring gear if you do not have it – we have extra equipment that we can loan you and show you how to use. Transmitters will be hidden in accessible areas – minimal to no bushwhacking will be required. Transmitter frequencies and other parameters are listed below.

If you have any questions, please contact Mark KE1IU at KE1IUMark@gmail.com.

Many thanks,

-Mark

 
Fox  Owner  Frequency (MHz)  3rd Harmonic (MHz)  Input PL  DTMF Activation  Power  Information
 C  K1DCT 147.455 442.365  CS  –  81 mW  3 sec. ON / 3 sec. OFF or ON 100%
 H  KE1IU 146.335 439.005  CS  –  1 mW  Tx ON 100% – 300 ft range + CW ID
 I  KE1IU 145.910 437.73  CS  –  25 mW  Tx ON 100% – 1 mile range
 J  KE1IU 146.585 439.755  CS  –  0.5 W  Tx ON one min; 5 seconds off – 2 mile range – CW ID
 K  KE1IU 146.565 439.695  CS  –  1 W  Tx ON one min – 5 seconds off – 2 mile range – CW ID
 L  K1DCT 147.420 442.26  CS 1 1 W